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Tag: NAPTIP

  • Customs, NAPTIP strengthen collaboration

    Customs, NAPTIP strengthen collaboration

    Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, has reaffirmed the Service’s readiness to strengthen its collaboration with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in combating human trafficking and illegal trade in endangered species.

    Adeniyi made this commitment when a delegation from NAPTIP paid him a courtesy visit at the Customs House in Maitama, Abuja.

    Adeniyi, who appreciated the visit, commended the delegation for their continued service to the country and assured them of Customs’ unwavering support.

    He noted that Nigeria’s security challenges require joint action, stressing that the Service does not view crimes solely through the lens of smuggling but through broader national security implications.

    “We believe in the power of collaboration. We can achieve more with less when we work together,” he said.

    He revealed that the Service has intensified its work on environmental sustainability and the enforcement of international conventions regarding flora and fauna, assuring the delegation that Customs will fully collaborate on the upcoming national dialogue on human trafficking and stowaway incidents, scheduled for February 2026.

    He pledged to provide technical expertise, intelligence sharing, and access to the Service’s training curriculum to strengthen inter-agency understanding of trafficking dynamics.

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    “We will accept your request for partnership unconditionally. We will work with your designated officials on the February summit and explore wider interventions that reinforce national security,” he said.

    On her part, the Director-General of NAPTIP, Binta Adamu, expressed delight at securing formal engagement with the Customs Service.

    She stated that NAPTIP was eager to strengthen operational partnerships, particularly in areas such as intelligence exchange, policy development, and cross-border enforcement.

    “I am happy today that I finally made it here and held this discussion with the Comptroller-General. We are a law enforcement agency with mandates to prevent, prosecute and protect. Partnership with Customs is essential for our work,” she said.

    She noted that human trafficking continues to evolve, requiring close coordination among agencies operating at Nigeria’s multiple entry and exit points.

    Speaking earlier, a former NIMASA Director of Public Relations, Lami Tumaka, said the visit was to seek Customs’ partnership for a one-day national policy dialogue on human trafficking by sea and stowaway incidents.

    Tumaka described Customs as a “strategic player in border management and maritime enforcement,” adding that its involvement is critical to the success of the dialogue.

    “Your officers are often the first line of defence against illicit movement of goods and persons. Your expertise and nationwide presence are indispensable,” she said.  

  • NAPTIP busts child trafficking syndicate in Benue

    NAPTIP busts child trafficking syndicate in Benue

    • 26 children sold for up to N3m each rescued

    • Ondo Police rescue five expectant mums in ‘baby factory’ raid

    The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has uncovered a large-scale child trafficking syndicate in Benue State, allegedly run by the founder of a high-profile NGO and orphanage operator.

    The agency also rescued 26 children during the operation with over 270 others allegedly sold between N1 million and N3 million being traced.

    NAPTIP in a statement yesterday said the operation followed a petition on May 1, by a man who reported that his four-year-old son was taken away by his mother-in-law and handed over to an NGO without his consent. He reported that when he insisted on knowing the whereabouts of his son, he was told he could only see him after three years.

    His complaint triggered a far-reaching investigation that exposed the network’s operations across Benue, Abuja, Nasarawa, Enugu and Lagos States.

    The principal suspect, a 60-year-old founder of the National Council of Child’s Right Advocates of Nigeria (NACRAN), Benue State, was arrested alongside three others.

    Arrested alongside the alleged kingpin were a 34-year-old female accomplice, and two other orphanage operators in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, and Nasarawa State, where some allegedly trafficked children were recovered.

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    NAPTIP’s spokesman, Vincent Adekoye, alleged that the suspects ran a deceptive initiative tagged “Back to School Project”, which they used to lure unsuspecting families in crisis-hit rural communities of Benue, especially in Daudu, Yelwata, and Ngban areas of Guma Local Government Area.

    He said: “Under the guise of sponsoring children’s education, the syndicate allegedly collected over 300 children from displaced or impoverished parents, many of whom were made to sign dubious consent forms or verbally agree to release their wards.

    “The children, aged between one and 13, were then moved to orphanage homes in Abuja and Nasarawa, where they were allegedly sold to couples for between N1 million and N3 million each under the pretense of adoption.”

    The agency said a complainant alleged that he paid N2.8 million as adoption fee and N100,000 consultancy charge to a member of the syndicate, adding that the identities of many rescued children had been changed, making tracing efforts difficult.

    It said some of the orphanages served as holding centers, while others were directly involved in the sales. It said the children were trafficked to Abuja, Nasarawa, Enugu, and Lagos states.

    Four homes located at Kagini, Kubwa Expressway, Abuja; Masaka Area 1, Mararaba, by Abacha Road; and Mararaba, behind the International Market, have been linked to the syndicate and are currently under investigation, NAPTIP said.

    The agency’s Director General, Binta Adamu Bello, described the case as “unbelievable and mind-boggling,” warning that the commercialisation of children under the guise of orphanage or adoption services must stop.

    “Our children are not commodities to be sold to the highest bidders. It is painful that some unpatriotic individuals use their social standing and recognised organisations to exploit vulnerable families in crisis-prone communities. This is unacceptable, and those responsible will face the full wrath of the law,” she said.

    Bello noted that NAPTIP’s renewed crackdown on orphanage operations nationwide followed growing reports of illegal adoptions and trafficking under the cover of child welfare.

    NAPTIP reaffirmed its commitment to tracing the remaining trafficked children and dismantling all networks involved in the illicit trade, added Adekoye.

    Relatedly, operatives of the Ondo State Police Command uncovered a suspected “baby factory” and human trafficking syndicate in Ore, where children are sold between N400,000 and N600,000.

    Five pregnant girls were rescued from the facility which was raised following a report by a teenager (names withheld) who alleged that she was lured to Ore from Ikot Ekpena, with a job offer, a statement by the command’s spokesman, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, said yesterday.

    The police said that the pregnant teenager, reported that she was taken to a supposed clinic which turned out to be a baby factory, as she met several expectant teenagers in the facility who were held for exploitation.

    According to the police, the victim was being taken to a hospital for scan on the instruction of the facility’s owner identified as Ada Clement, when she managed to escape and sought refuge at the Ore Police Station.

    “Acting swiftly on the report, operatives from Ore Division, in collaboration with the Gender Unit, raided the said facility, leading to the successful rescue of five pregnant girls and a baby boy,” Ayanlade stated.

    He added that one of the victims had already given birth and is currently receiving post-natal care at the General Hospital, Ore, while the others were in protective custody of the police.

    Preliminary investigation, according to Ayanlade, revealed that the prime suspect, Clement, and her accomplices allegedly confessed to operating the baby factory, where young pregnant girls were kept until  delivery. He said the babies were sold to individuals seeking children, adding that a girl child was sold from N400,000 and a male from N600,000.

    The spokesman said the case had been moved to the command’s Gender Unit for continuation of investigation, adding that the Commissioner of Police (CP) Adebowale Lawal, has ordered the arrest and prosecution of all members of the trafficking ring.

  • NAPTIP nabs 60-year-old orphanage owner, three others for alleged child sale, illegal adoption

    NAPTIP nabs 60-year-old orphanage owner, three others for alleged child sale, illegal adoption

    The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has arrested a 60-year-old member of the Orphanage Owners Umbrella body in Nigeria and founder of National Council of Child’s Right Advocates of Nigeria (NACRAN), based in Benue State over his alleged involvement in child trafficking, child sale and illegal adoption.  

    The agency, through its Operatives in Markudi Command, also rescued 26 children, out of the over 300 suspected to have been trafficked and sold to different persons within Benue, Enugu, Lagos, Nasarawa, and Abuja.

    NAPTIP noted that about 274 others are still being traced, as investigations intensify to unravel the full extent of the syndicate’s activities.

    A suspected 34-year-old female accomplice, and two other Orphanage Operators in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, and Nasarawa State, where some allegedly trafficked children were recovered were also arrested. 

    The children between one and thirteen years, were transported to orphanages in Abuja and Nasarawa States, where they were allegedly sold to interested couples under the guise of adoption, for N1 million to N3 million per child.

    A statement in Abuja on Sunday by the National Press Officer of NAPTIP, Vincent Adekoye, indicated that on 1st May 2025, a complaint was lodged by a man who reported that his four-year-old son was given up by his mother-in-law to an NGO without his consent. When he demanded the return of his child, he was told he could only see him after three years. 

    According to the statement, a petition to NAPTIP led to the arrest of several suspects and the uncovering of a wider network involved in trafficking and illegal adoption of children.

    Details of the operation that led to the arrest of the suspects reads: “Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects feasted on the vulnerability of the rural communities in Benue State through a voodoo initiative called “Back to School Project” to recruit children from crisis-ridden communities in Guma LGA, especially in areas affected by farmer–herder conflicts such as Daudu, Yelwata, and Ngban, and trafficked them to Abuja, Nasarawa, Enugu, and Lagos States.
    “The suspects organised meetings with villagers and traditional leaders, convincing them that the project would sponsor children’s education. 
    “Parents were deceived into signing consent forms or verbally agreeing to release their children, with promises that they would see them again after three years. Over 300 children were reportedly handed over to the suspects.

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    “Some parents were unaware or did not sign any consent forms.
    The children, aged between one and thirteen years, were transported to orphanages in Abuja and Nasarawa States, where they were allegedly sold to interested couples under the guise of adoption, for amounts ranging from N1 million to N3 million per child”.
    The agency noted that some orphanages identified were used as holding centres where children awaited adoption or sale.
    According to NAPTIP, four orphanages located at Kagini, Kubwa Expressway, Abuja; Masaka Area 1, Mararaba, by Abacha Road; and Mararaba, behind the International Market, have been linked to the syndicate and are currently under investigation.
    The statement further revealed that one complainant alleged that he paid N2.8 million as an adoption fee and N100,000 consultancy fee to a member of the syndicate.
    It added that the identities of many rescued children had been changed, which has made tracing efforts difficult. 
    Speaking on the development, the Director General of NAPTIP, Binta Bello said child trafficking and adoption are becoming a national crisis that requires urgent attention from all relevant stakeholders.
    She said, “A few weeks ago, based on credible intelligence, I expressed concern and alerted the State Ministries of Women Affairs on the unpatriotic and illegal activities of some Orphanage operators across the country.
    “It is painful that some unpatriotic elements with recognized entities and status, now use their social class to deceive the already vulnerable people in the crisis-prone communities, traffic their children, most of whom narrowly escape death in the wake of communal or farmer–herder clashes, and sell them to challenged parents in the name of adoption without the valid legal consent of the parents.
    “This is unacceptable, and those already arrested in connection with this wicked act shall be made to face the full wrath of the law.
    “Our children are not commodities to be displayed in orphanages and sold at will to the highest bidders. This must stop”. 

  • NAPTIP denies abduction claims, clarifies Delta Orphanage operation

    NAPTIP denies abduction claims, clarifies Delta Orphanage operation

    ….says rescue was lawful, not abduction

    The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has dismissed allegations in some media and social platforms that its operatives abducted children from an orphanage in Delta State.

    Director-General of NAPTIP, Binta Adamu, made the clarification at a press briefing in Abuja, where she gave details of the June 15, 2025, operation in Asaba that led to the rescue of eight children allegedly stolen from Kano State.

    Adamu said the briefing was necessary to counter what she described as distorted narratives, particularly from the proprietor of the orphanage, who has repeatedly ignored invitations for interrogation but instead mobilised people to accuse NAPTIP of abduction.

    “As a law enforcement agency, we owe Nigerians and the government a duty to account for our actions. Our mandate is clear under the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act 2015, which empowers us to investigate, rescue, and prosecute cases of trafficking and abduction. At no point did our operatives engage in an abduction,” she stressed.

    The NAPTIP boss traced the operation to a petition filed on December 16, 2022, by the Protection Against Abduction and Missing Children (PATAMOC), led by Comrade Ismail Ibrahim Mohammed.

    The petition, titled “Demand for Justice and Address the Child Abduction in Kano State and Nigeria”, highlighted widespread cases of missing children.

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    Based on this petition, she noted that NAPTIP’s Kano Zonal Command began intelligence gathering, which led to the discovery of a child trafficking syndicate.

    She said, “A woman identified as Hauwa Abubakar of Gombe State was arrested by the Police after being found with stolen children. She confessed to selling 21 children to an accomplice, Nkechi Odlyne, who in turn sold seven of them to Mr. Christopher Ogugua Nwoye, proprietor of Happy Home Children’s Orphanage, Asaba. Each child was reportedly sold for ₦450,000.

    “Nwoye was arrested in Gombe, confessed to the crime, and returned four children. Alongside Abubakar and Odlyne, he is currently facing prosecution at the Gombe State High Court. While the two women are remanded in prison, Nwoye is out on bail but attending trial.

    “Of the four children returned, three were confirmed by their biological parents in Gombe. The photograph of the fourth child was circulated by PATAMOC, leading to her identification by a woman in Kano as her missing daughter, Aisha Buhari.

    “This prompted NAPTIP to step in, especially as it was already assisting the Kano State Government in its probe of over 600 missing children between 2010 and 2019”.

    Speaking further, she said on June 12, 2025, NAPTIP dispatched operatives from its Abuja Headquarters and Kano Zonal Command to Asaba. The team was joined by the Kano State Chairman of Parents of Missing Children under PATAMOC, who could identify Aisha and had photographs of several missing children.

    For transparency and security, she said NAPTIP sought and obtained official support from the Delta State Police Command.

    However, on June 15, armed officers from the B’ Division, Asaba, accompanied the operatives to the orphanage.

    At the facility, where over 70 children were kept, the proprietor was absent, and only his wife was present.

    After profiling the children, PATAMOC’s chairman identified Aisha and seven others. No arrest was made at the scene to avoid chaos, but NAPTIP left its contact for the proprietor to respond.

    Adamu further noted that efforts to get Nwoye to present himself for interrogation have been futile, while he kept engaging in media campaigns against the Agency.

    Meanwhile, the rescued children were initially sheltered by the Kano State Ministry of Women Affairs but were later transferred to a more secure NAPTIP facility following multiple claims of parentage from women in Kano and Delta.

    Adamu stressed that DNA tests would be conducted before any child is handed over.

    “We are not for or against any claimant. The only way forward is a thorough investigation backed by science. Until then, the children will remain under our protection,” she said.

    The NAPTIP boss further urged the Delta State Government to investigate the activities of Happy Home Orphanage, describing reports from the state’s Commissioner for Women Affairs as deeply troubling.

    She reaffirmed that NAPTIP would prosecute all culpable persons, conclude investigations swiftly, and reunite the rescued children with their lawful families.

    “Let me restate: the rescue in Asaba was not an abduction. It was a lawful, coordinated operation, backed by intelligence, conducted with the Police, and in line with our mandate. Blackmail and misinformation will not deter us,” Adamu said.

  • ICMPD, NAPTIP train over 70 teachers in Delta on anti-human trafficking

    ICMPD, NAPTIP train over 70 teachers in Delta on anti-human trafficking

    The International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), in collaboration with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), has trained more than 70 teachers from three Colleges of Education in the Asaba cluster, Delta State, on anti-human trafficking.

    The workshop, held as a follow-up to a national-level Training of Trainers in Enugu, was designed to equip educators with the knowledge and skills to integrate anti-human trafficking content into the education sector.

    Speaking at the event, the Zonal Commander of NAPTIP’s Benin Zonal Command, Mr. Sam Affiah, explained that the training aimed to empower lecturers to educate their students and wider school communities on the risks and realities of human trafficking.

    He noted that the initiative would create a ripple effect of awareness, as participants were expected to cascade their knowledge to others, fostering a well-informed academic environment.

    Affiah further stressed the need for political will and societal change to effectively tackle the scourge, adding that the partnership between ICMPD and NAPTIP was a crucial step toward preparing a generation that is informed and ready to confront human trafficking.

    Affiah said, “This will go a long way. The government should look inward to see how it will restructure and strengthen the criminal justice system of our country. This will help us in combating the issue of human trafficking and other related offences, and we will give credit to whom it is due, which is the government.”

    The ICMPD Schools Anti -Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project Officer for Delta State, Ijeoma David Ukoko, said the programme funded by the Government of the Netherlands was to train the school community with anti- trafficking education.

    She stated that the essence of strengthening the capacity of teachers of colleges of education with anti-trafficking education was informed by the need to integrate issues of trafficking into the curriculum of colleges for the education of students as part of measures to stop human trafficking.

    Ukoko further said, “We are talking about anti-trafficking education because it is preventing the menace in society. Trafficking is not just a cross-issue issue, but it’s domestic. It’s a pipeline. How can we stop feeding this pipeline? How do we stop the supply side? There is a demand side, which is checked by NAPTIP through prosecution. The supply side means that we have to prevent people from being made vulnerable to trafficking.”

    ”As a country and region in the world, the Netherlands is also one of the destinations for trafficked victims. So, as much as they are very much in tune with preserving and conserving human rights, it is also important for the country of the victims to know that this is happening. So, it’s a partnership. How can we support you in this, to prevent the inflow where they will now meet an unpleasant ending? It’s a collaboration. Hence, the Government of the Netherlands will fund the STEAP Project through ICMPD.”

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    Continuing, she said, “We have already sensitized some of the SBMC or PTA members, the heads of schools, the vanguard coordinators. Now, we are not going to do this in isolation when we have teachers being churned out yearly. What do we do? We target the source of the teachers, which are colleges of education. So, we train and sensitize them, so that they can, in turn, find out ways and means of transmitting this information they have acquired here into the school curriculum.”

    There were various paper presentations, including the guidelines for the implementation of Trafficking in Persons Content in NCE Minimum Standards by Achi Anthony Ndubisi of Federal College of Education, Technical, Asaba.

    Head, Counselling and Rehabilitation Unit of NAPTIP, Stephen Selowo, and the Chief Intelligence Officer, NAPTIP, Mrs Eneh Okeoghene, made presentations on ‘Migration and Counter-Trafficking Measures’ as well as on the ‘Causes, Consequences and Trafficking related Crimes.’

    Participants at the workshop thanked the organizers for the training, which they described as key to tackling human trafficking.

    In her remarks, the Secretary of the Delta State Taskforce Against Trafficking and Irregular Migration, Mrs Ijeoma Nwanze, said the workshop was of great impact to Delta State as students in colleges of education in the state would be sensitized on the danger of trafficking, how to report trafficking cases, and ways to prevent it.

    This, she said, would make the students less prone to be victims of trafficking. ”This event is part of a series of events for actualizing the STEAP Projects, and we are glad that beyond the secondary schools, we are engaging colleges of education teachers”, Nwanze stated.

  • NAPTIP rescues eight kids stolen from Asaba orphanage

    NAPTIP rescues eight kids stolen from Asaba orphanage

    Eight kids suspected to have been stolen from Kano State between 2017 and 2022 have been rescued from an orphanage in Asaba, Delta State by officials of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

    The kids were among 70 under aged, including newborns, found in the orphanage during an operation by the NAPTIP, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Police, Kano State Ministry of Women Affairs, civil society groups, and concerned parents, the agency said yesterday.

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    In a statement, the NAPTP Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye, said investigation of the orphanage followed petitions from parents in Kano who alleged that their children, mostly between ages two and 10, had been abducted and moved to other parts of the country.

    “Some parents had previously reported cases dating back to 2017, with another wave of suspected trafficking reported in 2022.

    “During the operation, more than 70 children, including newborns, were found in the orphanage, but only eight were confirmed to have been taken from Kano. They have since been reunited with their families,” said Adekoye.

    According to him, NAPTIP Director-General, Binta Adamu Bello, described the findings as disturbing, warning that some orphanages in the country have become havens for trafficked children. She urged state ministries of women affairs to intensify oversight of such facilities in line with existing regulations.

    Bello also commended the DSS, police, and other partners for supporting the operation, stressing that NAPTIP remains committed to protecting children and ensuring justice in cases of trafficking and abduction.

  • NAPTIP rescues eight ‘stolen’ kids from Asaba orphanage

    NAPTIP rescues eight ‘stolen’ kids from Asaba orphanage

    Eight children suspected to have been stolen from Kano State between 2017 and 2022 have been rescued from an Orphanage in Asaba, Delta State, by officials of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

    The children were among 70 underage, including newborn babies, found in the orphanage during a joint operation conducted by NAPTIP, Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police, the Kano State Ministry of Women Affairs, civil society groups, and concerned parents, the agency said on Tuesday.

    A statement by the press officer of NAPTIP, Vincent Adekoye, said investigation of the orphanage followed petitions from parents in Kano who alleged that their children, mostly between ages two and 10, had been abducted and moved to other parts of the country.

    “Some parents had previously reported cases dating back to 2017, with another wave of suspected trafficking reported in 2022.

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    “During the operation, more than 70 children, including newborns, were found in the orphanage, but only eight were confirmed to have been taken from Kano. They have since been reunited with their families,” said Adekoye.

    According to him, NAPTIP Director General, Binta Adamu Bello, described the findings as disturbing, warning that some orphanages in the country have become havens for trafficked children. She urged state ministries of women’s affairs to intensify oversight of such facilities in line with existing regulations.

    Bello also commended the DSS, police, and other partners for supporting the operation, stressing that NAPTIP remains committed to protecting children and ensuring justice in cases of trafficking and abduction.

  • NAPTIP arrests eight suspected traffickers, rescues 29 foreign victims in Abuja

    NAPTIP arrests eight suspected traffickers, rescues 29 foreign victims in Abuja

    Operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) have arrested eight persons suspected to be members of human trafficking syndicate operating between Nigeria and Ghana.

    The operatives also rescued 29 victims, most of whom are foreign nationals of some West African Countries in a recent operation.

    The operation was carried out at a popular apartment in the hidden part of Gwagwalada, Abuja, following an intelligence report by one of the embassies in Abuja.

    According to a statement by the Press Officer of NAPTIP, Vincent Adekoye, the Agency received an official intelligence from the Ghanaian Embassy concerning a suspected case of human trafficking involving a Ghanaian national.

    The statement reads in part: “According to the Embassy, the victim was allegedly recruited in Ghana under pretences and transported to Nigeria, where he was subjected to exploitation. The Embassy requested the Agency’s urgent intervention in line with existing bilateral cooperation agreements and anti-trafficking frameworks.

    “The victim was allegedly defrauded of $3,500 by a suspected trafficking syndicate that had promised him legitimate opportunities in Nigeria.
    “Upon his arrival in Nigeria, the traffickers confiscated his international passport and personal belongings, leaving him vulnerable and at the mercy of the syndicate.

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    “This report triggered immediate operational action in compliance with the Agency’s mandate to prevent, suppress, and prosecute trafficking in persons as provided under national and international legal frameworks.”

    The statement continued: “During the raid, 8 suspects were apprehended. The suspects are believed to be members of an organised trafficking network operating between Ghana and Nigeria. They are currently in custody, undergoing profiling and interrogation. Also, 29 victims were successfully rescued.
    “The victims comprise 20 females aged between 17 and 28 and 9 males aged between 18 and 30. They were immediately taken into protective custody.

    “The international passport and other personal belongings of the primary victim were recovered during the operation. Other materials suspected to be linked to trafficking activities were also seized, including mobile phones, SIM cards, and financial transaction records.

    “Further investigation revealed that the victims whose temporary permits had since expired were trafficked to Nigeria by the syndicate for alleged sexual exploitation and cybercrime activities.
    While the 29 rescued victims have been transferred to a safe shelter receiving immediate assistance, the Agency has commenced discussions with the relevant diplomatic missions for the foreign nationals among the rescued persons”.

    The Director General of NAPTIP, Binta Bello decried the activities of the trans border human traffickers and the new trends of foreign nationals as victims.

    She said: “This case highlights the transnational dimension of human trafficking and the vulnerabilities of individuals seeking better opportunities across borders. The swift intervention by the Agency, in collaboration with the Ghanaian Embassy, demonstrates the importance of timely intelligence sharing and coordinated law enforcement response”.

    She added that the suspects will face the full wrath of the law.
    “We shall continue to disrupt their operation, intercept and rescue the victims, and also prosecute them. The Agency remains committed to its mandate of ensuring justice for victims, dismantling trafficking networks, and strengthening partnerships at both national and international levels to eradicate human trafficking”.

  • NAPTIP rescues 25 Saudi Arabia-bound trafficking victims 

    NAPTIP rescues 25 Saudi Arabia-bound trafficking victims 

    Operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) have rescued 25 women suspected to be victims of labour exploitation en route to Saudi Arabia.

    The victims were rescued when the agency commenced a manhunt for a popular travel Agency suspected of playing a prominent role in the recruitment of the victims.

    NAPTIP noted that the unsuspecting victims between the ages of 17 and 43 were picked up in front of a popular hotel in Wuse II area of Abuja, where they were gathered and waiting for their trafficker.

    According to a statement by NAPTIP’s Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye, the victims claimed that they were recruited from Kano, Jigawa, and Katsina States by some persons with a promise to travel to Saudi Arabia to work as house help.

    One of the victims, whose name was not disclosed, said: “Some people came to our village and told my parent that they would assist me to travel abroad to work as a house help in Saudi Arabia. They assured us that the job there will pay us very well, and we will be able to come and take care of our parents and families.

    “They asked us to come and wait for them here so that they will give us the travel document and the necessary instructions on how to go. They have not given us any documents, like an International Passport and a visa, and we are worried that none of them is here to attend to us as promised”.

    Some of the victims also said they were in Abuja for the first time, and they are stranded.

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    Commenting on the development, the Director General of NAPTIP, Binta Bello, while condemning the activities of the traffickers who have continued to feed on the vulnerability of victims in remote parts of the country, said some trafficking gangs now use Abuja as a centralised coordination point for trafficking.

    She said, “I wish to alert our partners and stakeholders to the new modus operandi of a human trafficking syndicate that uses the Federal Capital Territory as a muster point for their nefarious activities. You will recall that a few months ago, some victims were intercepted and rescued from a hotel located close to the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, just as they were about to be trafficked to some destination countries in the Middle East.

    “Now, we have intercepted another 25 women. The sad aspect of the whole thing is that they excitedly jumped at the offer from the traffickers without knowing the harrowing experience and the level of exploitation that awaits them in the destination country. 

    “Well, the good news is that we have successfully disrupted this trafficking process, and we are closing in on the Agency whose name features prominently in the whole thing.

    “Let me use this medium to call on the umbrella body of the Travel Agency, the Association of Recruiters, Licensed Placement Agency of Nigeria, and other regulatory bodies, to rise to their responsibility of regulating the activities of their members.

    “The mindless exploitation of victims of human trafficking in those destination countries remains a source of serious concern to NAPTIP, so this scenario must stop.”

  • How traffickers use online loans, scholarships, others to entrap victims – NAPTIP

    How traffickers use online loans, scholarships, others to entrap victims – NAPTIP

    The Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Binta Adamu Bello, has revealed some of the tactics deployed by human traffickers to lure victims.

    She said traffickers lure victims with fake job opportunities and scholarships in some destination countries, and also recruit victims as marketing agents for some branded products in order to exploit them.

    The NAPTIP boss added that some traffickers also recruit their victims through online loan schemes, baby factories, organ harvesting, and the recruitment of unsuspecting youths for online scams (yahoo-yahoo) within Nigeria, Ghana and some West African countries.

    Bello, who described the trend as worrisome, called for joint efforts by all stakeholders to kick traffickers out of Nigeria.

    She disclosed the foregoing in Abuja at a press conference to commence the 2025 World Day Against Human Trafficking with the theme: “Human trafficking is organised crime – end the exploitation”.

    Bello noted that organised criminal networks use migration flows, global supply chains, legal and economic loopholes and digital platforms to facilitate cross-border trafficking on a massive scale.

    On some of the trends by traffickers, she said: “The fight against human trafficking has continued to take new dimensions with emerging trends daily.

    “This is coupled with a new destination and further exploitation of victims.

    “Some of the disturbing trends that are on the increase are fake job opportunities and scholarships in some destination countries, recruitment of victims as marketing agents for some branded products to exploit them and recruitment of unsuspecting youths for Online scams (Yahoo-Yahoo) within Nigeria, Ghana and some West African countries.”

    She identified other baits as online trafficking/sextortion, revenge porn in Nigeria and Ghana, baby factory, organ harvesting and online loan scheme.

    “The online loan scheme is a situation where the suspect uses social media handles to lure unsuspecting victims into accepting, but at the end of the day, compels them into prostitution in return for the loan. This is common in Nigeria, Ghana,” she said.

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    She also revealed that the capacity of the Cybercrime Squad of the Agency has been strengthened to respond and address the growing trends of online recruitment and exploitation.

    “Our resolve to tackle human trafficking in Nigeria is firm and unequivocal, and we shall continue to scale our strategies to outsmart the traffickers.

    “It is our resolve to continue doubling our efforts to outsmart the tactics of the traffickers. The coming months will be very challenging for human traffickers in the country.

    “We shall increase our coordination mechanism to empower all state and non-state actors to detect and report issues of human trafficking anywhere in the country,” Bello said.

    On the importance of curbing human trafficking, she explained that human trafficking threatens national development and weakens the foundation and pillars of any nation, with women and youth as the main targets.

    “We must set aside any rivalry and join hands together and ensure the protection of Nigerians.

    “Together, let us kick human traffickers out of Nigeria.”

    The Country Representative of UNODC, Mr. Cheikh Toure, who reaffirmed UNODC’s commitment to Nigeria in tackling human trafficking, said collective efforts were critical to ending trafficking.

    He said: “I reaffirm UNODC’s unwavering solidarity with the Nigerian people in confronting the scourge of human trafficking.

    “Trafficking is not an incidental crime but a calculated, transnational enterprise profiting from the vulnerability of our women, children and men.

    “As custodian of the UN Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime (UNTOC), UNODC stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the government of Nigeria.

    “We must dismantle criminal networks through coordinated, cross-border action, strengthening justice, protecting victims and holding perpetrators accountable.

    “Policies alone cannot win this fight. Trafficking festers where vulnerability is highest in underserved communities, border regions, and among marginalised youth.

    “We must redirect energy and resources to the grassroots: empowering local leaders, traditional institutions and community networks.

    “The frontline of this battle is where poverty and desperation are exploited.

    “Human trafficking violates every principle of human dignity, destabilises societies and undermines the rule of law.

    “UNODC will deepen its partnership with Nigeria working with government, civil society, and survivors to shatter criminal empires, uplift victims and build a future where no Nigerian is bought or sold.”